


Memories

by morning_coffee



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: F/M, Fix-It, Post-Episode AU: s02e13 Doomsday
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-26
Updated: 2017-01-26
Packaged: 2018-09-20 05:44:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9478193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/morning_coffee/pseuds/morning_coffee
Summary: Maybe the memories don't matter.





	

It takes her two and a half years until it finally sinks in that he's not coming back, and another eight months to adjust to it – barely. She's still the same Rose, even when the gleam is gone from her eyes and her smile always holds a sad edge. And then, when she's only just began to accept that this is how her life is going to be now, she sees him.

Piercing eyes, short-cropped hair, prominent nose – he looks exactly like he did when he first stepped up to her, took her hand and told her to run. And run, she does. "Doctor!" she calls, and she rushes towards him and flings her arms around him and holds tight. He doesn't dissolve. He's real and solid, and the worn, old leather jacket smells exactly like it always did. They stand like that for minutes until she finally lets him come up for air and half-laughing, half-crying says, "Doctor," over and over again.

He untangles himself from her and smiles that radiant smile of his. "It's fantastic to see you too, but… I'm sorry, do I know you?"

Her own smile dies on her lips and suddenly she remembers: alternative universe, no Rose Tyler, and (why has she never thought of that?) alternative Doctor. "I—" she begins. But words fail her, because how do you tell someone who's never seen you before that you travelled to the end of the world together and he died for you and you loved each other, somewhere in another universe.

She doesn't know how to make him understand, but she knows she has to – or else she'll have to walk away and never look back, and that's something she cannot make herself do. She takes a deep breath and says, "It's a long story," which he probably takes the wrong way because he smiles again and replies, "Ah, that's alright. It's not that important." He shrugs and turns to go, so she quickly adds, "But I'd love to tell you."

His smile brightens. "Alright then. I have all the time in the world." She chuckles because she knows that he's the only person who could say that and mean it literally.

And she tells him. She tells him about the parallel universe – about the living plastic, and fish and chips, and tea with Jackie. She tells him about Mickey and Captain Jack and Cassandra and the Slitheen attack on London and the Devil trying to pull them into a black hole. She tells him about Bad Wolf, and about how it almost broke him when the TV ate her face, and about the time they were stuck light years away from home and talked about settling down together and sharing mortgage. She tells him about Bad Wolf Bay, about saying goodbye, and he listens without saying a word.

When she's finished, he looks at her with a frown and asks, "You're not making this up, are you?"

Rose shakes her head.

"I… I can't get you home. Back to your universe, I mean. I can't just open—"

"I know," she interrupts him. "I just…" She closes her eyes and tries to fight off the tears, but it's like retelling it all has opened a wound that never closed in the first place, and all the old pain and anguish is back full-force, as if the Doctor… _her_ Doctor had only just disappeared a minute ago.

"I could take you with me, though," the Doctor says, and her eyes fly open. "If that's what you want." He stands in front of her, smiling, and he's holding out his hand. – Such a familiar gesture, so much like the man in her memories that she doesn't think she could not take it, even if she tried.

She knows he's not her Doctor, but she's adjusted to him changing before, and she will again. Of course, after his regeneration, it was just a different face. He still had the memories. This one, he wears the same old face, but the memories are missing.

But maybe the memories don't matter. They can always make new ones. 

End.


End file.
